Nepal & Nepali people you will generally find to be a friendly place where quite often random strangers will come up to you just to talk. Where living in London as myself would find it suspicious if somebody did that in Nepal you usually find they just want to practice English with you or to invite you to meet the family as they are generally interested in meeting new people especially foreigners. But like every country in the world there are bad elements everywhere though in Nepal these can be avoided by listening to the hosts at your homestay & your guide that is assigned to you. Because in Nepali culture they feel responsible for you & are there to insure you have a great time so please listen to them as they know the local areas. Its not likely to happen but when you are in Nepal with our team we take your care and well being very seriously.
So a couple of rules to follow if you are not sure about anything from buying water to what type of food you are about to eat please ask because some of the traditional places where you can eat are not really designed for visitor stomachs. The levels of hygiene may not be up to western standards & whereas the Nepali stomachs are use to the food your may not be & lead to a bad case of diarrhoea. This can be especially true with meat products so my advice is if you are not sure go vegetarian for the meal as its a lot safer. Two if you are hiking away from built up areas please listen to your guide if they say about the dangers that could be lurking around. This is especially for places like Chitwan where you could be hiking next to the national park which is shared by Tigers, Crocs & rhinos. I personally have never had a problem walking here but I am always careful & observant when I do go out. Your guides are there to guide you so please talk with them & use their local knowledge to keep you safe. Also road safety please understand that crossing the road here is a lot different to what you know from home. Talk with your guide keep your eyes open the first time you do this and be aware at all times when walking near or on roads.
And finally you are here as guests in Nepal so please feel free to learn about the culture, talk with people & take photos though please ask first on the latter. Its your experience & we want you to have a great one so come and see for yourself what Nepal has to offer you.
